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AUSTRAC releases 2 new guides to help spot illicit crypto use
21.4.2022
AUSTRAC also urged financial institutions from debanking clients who may be engaged in suspicious account activity, as a mistake could be costly to “Australia’s economy.”
US Treasury Official: We Don’t See That Crypto Could Be Used in Large-Scale Way to Evade Sanctions
20.3.2022
The U.S. Department of the Treasury does not see that cryptocurrency could be used in a large-scale way to evade sanctions. “Its share as a medium for illicit finance is not anywhere as large as just using cash,” a senior Treasury official noted. Treasury Department’s View...
No crypto for criminals: Coinjoin BTC mixing tool to block illicit transactions
14.3.2022
The founder of the Wasabi Wallet called the decision a major setback for Bitcoin’s fungibility, while one of the developers advocated for the use of other privacy coordinators over zkSNACKs
Report: Sudan Rejects Russian Illicit Gold Smuggling Allegations
14.3.2022
Sudan has denied claims Russian entities have smuggled hundreds of tonnes of illicit gold from its territory. Officials have called the allegations fake news and suggested that Sudan is in fact looking to revive its economy through gold mining. The Rise in Russia’s Gold Holdings The Sudanese...
Coinbase Touts Blacklist of 25K Russia-Linked Addresses Allegedly Tied to Illicit Activity
7.3.2022
Combating accusations that crypto is an ideal sanctions evasion tool, Coinbase said it has long taken “proactive” steps to root out criminally-tied Russians
US Secret Service Launches Crypto Awareness Hub to Educate the Public on Digital Asset Security
25.2.2022
The U.S. Secret Service has launched a cryptocurrency awareness hub. The new platform “will feature the latest in the agency’s work combating illicit use of digital assets as well as provide public awareness information on digital asset security and how to ensure it remains...
Chainalysis Study Shows ‘Criminal Whales’ Hold $25B in Digital Assets, Entities Represent 3.7% of All Crypto Whales
24.2.2022
According to research published by Chainalysis, criminal entities hold more than $25 billion in cryptocurrencies. The blockchain intelligence firm’s study shows that there was a significant increase in crypto balances held by criminals in 2021 as the metric jumped by 266% since the year...
EU Members Want to Task New AML Watchdog With Crypto Oversight, Report Unveils
24.2.2022
A group of EU nations have reportedly been lobbying to entrust oversight of the crypto space to a new anti-money laundering (AML) agency. Behind the move are concerns that companies dealing with digital assets can be engaged in the processing of illicit funds. Germany Leads Push to Place Crypto...
Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl Crack Down On ‘Illicit’ Clone Pokémon
22.2.2022
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl had a ton of glitches when they came out. Some were funny, most were harmless, but a few made it extremely easy for players to clone rare and powerful Pokémon en masse. It was an absolute feeding frenzy. Now the developers behind the Gen 4 remakes...
FBI Launches ‘Virtual Asset Exploitation Unit’ With Specialized Team of Crypto Experts
19.2.2022
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a new unit to tackle crypto exploitation. The new team will work with the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat “the criminal misuse of cryptocurrencies.” FBI Establishes New Crypto...
4% of crypto whales are criminals and they have $25B between them: Chainalysis
17.2.2022
The report defines criminal whales as private wallets that hold more than $1 million worth of crypto with more than 10% of their balances coming from illicit addresses
Report Attributes Large Share of Global Crypto Crime to Russia, Moscow City
16.2.2022
The growing popularity of cryptocurrencies has placed Russia among the leaders in adoption. But while it is yet to reach the top of the ranking, the country already has a “disproportionate share” of global activity related to some forms of crime involving cryptocurrency, according...
US Senator: China’s Digital Currency Could Subvert US Sanctions, Enhance Surveillance Capabilities
8.2.2022
A U.S. senator has warned about China’s central bank digital currency. “Analysts have raised the eCNY’s potential to subvert U.S. sanctions, facilitate illicit money flows, enhance China’s surveillance capabilities, and provide Beijing with ‘first mover’...
US Treasury Warns NFTs May Present New Illicit Finance Risks
6.2.2022
The U.S. treasury department has warned that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) may present new illicit finance risks. According to industry estimates, the NFT market could reach $35 billion in 2022 and more than $80 billion by 2025. NFTs May Present Illicit Finance Risks The U.S. Department of...
Business Advisory Firm Expects Criminal Cryptocurrency Transactions to Fall by 30% by 2024
17.1.2022
Gartner, an advisory firm, has predicted that criminal cryptocurrency transactions or transfers will fall by 30% by 2024. The firm says factors such as the transparency of the blockchain, as well as the democratization of fraud prevention tools, will contribute to this decline in such transactions....
Report: Illicit Crypto Addresses Received $14 Billion in 2021, Only 0.15% of Transaction Volume Associated With Crime
8.1.2022
According to the latest data from Chainalysis, the total cryptocurrency value received by illicit addresses grew to a new all-time high of $14 billion in 2021. Although the new all-time high is almost twice the $7.8 billion that was recorded in 2020, it represents just 0.15% of the 2021...
Illicit Activity’s Share in Crypto Shrinks, 'Significant Problem' Remains
6.1.2022
The growth of legitimate crypto usage is far higher than that of illicit usage, according to blockchain analysis company Chainalysis. However, illicit activity is still “a significant problem.”
“Transactions involving illicit addresses represented just 0.15% of cryptocurrency transaction...
Biden Administration Unveils Plan to Focus on ‘Prosecutions of Criminal Misuses of Cryptocurrency’
8.12.2021
The Biden-Harris administration has unveiled its strategy on “countering corruption.” It includes utilizing the government’s newly established task force, the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, to focus on “complex investigations and prosecutions of criminal...
US and UK Agree to ‘Heighten the Focus on Illicit Use of Cryptocurrency’
22.11.2021
The U.S. and U.K. governments have “committed and agreed to heighten the focus on illicit use of cryptocurrency and ransomware,” the U.S. Department of Justice announced. According to the FBI, high crypto prices have partially made ransomware “incredibly lucrative for...
Kazakhstan Senate Adopts Legislation Subjecting Crypto Platforms to Financial Monitoring
8.11.2021
The Senate in Kazakhstan has approved amendments aimed at preventing the legalization of illicit funds which will affect companies dealing with digital assets, among others. The new legislation subjects crypto service providers to the country’s financial monitoring regime. Senators Back...